Despite a controversial record, the politician has a historic mandate from voters. Now he must revive the nation’s fortunes and reset ties with friend and foe alike

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It’s just past noon on a cloudless day in Ghazipur, a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and a stream of Narendra Modi supporters is making its way to one of the candidate’s last election rallies. Undeterred by the 111°F (44°C) heat, the crowd, festooned in saffron, the hue of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), winds along the small town’s unkempt streets and open sewers. Gyan Prakesh Singh, a doctor, points to a pool of raw sewage. Like so many others on their way to the rally, Singh is counting on Modi to improve life in his hometown—and across India. “This is the first time I’ve gone to listen to a politician,” says Singh. Someone in his…